The U.S. has strict nepotism laws. They apply both to government employees and legislators: They cannot hire family for taxpayer's money at all, though they've been known to pay their relatives out of campaign funds.

Source: Transparency International

Ranking out of 176 countries

If no one can say with certainty who will win the presidential election on 7 May, one thing is for certain : the successor of François Hollande will be elected by default and without desire. Because it is not the second round that gives the reality of the winner’s political basis. If present trends remain until the election, the final round will indeed be very singular : the presence practically certain of Marine Le Pen will turn into a rejecting vote in favor of her adversary, possibly Emmanuel Macron according to recent opinion polls.

Over 100 NGOs are calling on the Members of the European Parliament to adopt a strong negotiating position on the EU Transparency Register. Negotiations on the new inter-institutional agreement are expected to start soon between the Parliament, Commission and Council.

The NGOs urge MEPs to:

1. Luxembourg: € 1 998.59
2. Ireland: € 1 563.25
3. Netherlands: € 1 551.60
4. Belgium: € 1 531.93
5. Germany: € 1 498.00
6. France: € 1 480.27
7. United Kingdom: € 1 433.82
8. Spain: € 825.65
9. Slovenia: € 804.96
10. Malta: € 735.63
11. Greece: € 683.76
12. Portugal: € 649.83
13. Estonia: € 470.00
14. Poland: € 464.60
15. Croatia: € 439.33
16. Slovakia: € 435.00
17. Hungary: € 411 (€ 519 for skilled employees)
18. Czech Republic: € 407.00
19. Latvia: € 380.00; Lithuania: € 380.00

Lower House- Member's monthly basic gross salary (does not include bonus, or other advantages) 

We, the Leaders of 27 Member States and of EU institutions, take pride in the achievements of the European Union: the construction of European unity is a bold, far-sighted endeavour. Sixty years ago, recovering from the tragedy of two world wars, we decided to bond together and rebuild our continent from its ashes. We have built a unique Union with common institutions and strong values, a community of peace, freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, a major economic power with unparalleled levels of social protection and welfare. 

Source: COFACE (Ranking based on Turnover)

1. GDP: USD 2,570 billion (2017 estimate)
2. GDP Growth: 1.4% (2017 estimate)
3. GDP (Share of World Total): 2.3% (2017 estimate)
4. GDP Composition by sector (2016 estimate): Agriculture: 1.7%; Industry 19.4%; Services: 78.8%
5. GDP Expenditure on R&D (%): 2.3%
6. Unemployment: 9.6% (2017 estimate)
7. Public Debt (% of GDP): 97.8% (2017 estimate)
8. Current Account Balance: USD -9.7 billion (2017 estimate)
9. Exports of Goods and Services as % of GDP: 30.0% (2015)
10. Shares in World Total Merchandising Export: 3.1% (2015)

Source : Austrian Institute of Economic Research

Loss for EU countries: € 17,6 billion and 400,000 jobs in 2015